Initiative · every Montana voter

CI-132: Nonpartisan judge electionsKeep judge elections nonpartisan, in the state constitution

Citizen initiative (constitutional amendment): Constitutional Initiative 132, placed on the ballot by voters who signed petitions (Constitutional Initiative 132). Passes with a simple majority of the votes cast on it.

Read the full text of the measure: Secretary of State ballot issue file (PDF)

In plain words

Montana elects its judges, from the Supreme Court down to local courts, in nonpartisan races: no party label is printed next to their names. That has been the practice for more than 90 years, but it is not in the constitution. CI-132 puts one sentence in the constitution saying judicial elections stay nonpartisan. It would not stop judges from belonging to a party or taking money from a party. (flatheadbeacon.com )

Before and after

Question	Today	If it passes
Party label next to judges' names on the ballot	No (nonpartisan races)	No (same)
Where the rule lives	Not in the constitution	In the constitution
Who could change it	The Legislature would have a much easier path	Only another statewide vote to change the constitution
Judges can belong to a party or take party money	Yes (a 2025 law lets parties give to judicial candidates)	Yes (CI-132 does not change this, per the campaign)

Numbers from the official ballot title (ballot title ); also see (flatheadbeacon.com )

Biggest change

Adds a new section to the judicial article of the constitution: "Judicial elections shall remain nonpartisan." source: sosmt.gov (Secretary of State)
Keeps party labels off the ballot for judges at every level, from the Supreme Court down to district, water and municipal courts. source: flatheadbeacon.com

Who it affects most: Voters choosing judges, and candidates for the Montana Supreme Court, district courts, water courts and city or justice courts.

Cost to the state: Unknown. The state's fiscal note (in the Voter Information Pamphlet) has not been checked yet.

Our plain-words summary. Every line points to its source.

What your vote means

YES

The constitution will say judge elections stay nonpartisan, so only another statewide vote could add party labels.

Judge elections stay nonpartisan for now, but the Legislature could change that by passing a law.

Our one-line summary. Montana does not publish an official "what your vote means" statement; the ballot title above is the official description.

Why people want it, and why others object

Why this is on the ballot

Voters put this on the ballot by signing a petition. It changes the state constitution, so only another statewide vote can change it back. It passes with a simple majority of the votes cast on it.

In the 2025 session, several bills to make judicial races partisan were heard in the House Judiciary Committee. None passed the Legislature. A 2025 bill that did pass lets political parties give money directly to judicial candidates. source: flatheadbeacon.com
The push for partisan judicial races followed court rulings that struck down laws passed by the Republican-led Legislature on voting and transgender rights. source: montanafreepress.org
Two groups first filed competing nonpartisan-courts initiatives (CI-131 and CI-132); backers then joined behind CI-132. The Secretary of State certified it for the ballot in August 2026. source: flatheadbeacon.com

Why supporters want it

Montanans for Nonpartisan Courts says the measure will "keep judges accountable to the people's interests, not deep-pocketed political interests." source: montanafreepress.org
Caitie Butler, communications director for Montanans for Nonpartisan Courts: "Montanans have been voting in nonpartisan judicial elections for over 90 years." source: montanarightnow.com
Katherine "Kitty" Curtis, a retired Flathead County district judge (1995-2013) who helped gather signatures: "There is no Democratic or Republican way to handle those cases." source: flatheadbeacon.com

Why opponents object

The Montana Republican Party passed a resolution opposing CI-132. It says "the Montana Supreme Court has long acted as a partisan Democrat bench" and that "Montana should retain judicial elections, but reform them to be free, fair, and honest." source: montanafreepress.org
Rep. Amy Regier (R-Kalispell): "just because they put on that black robe doesn't mean that partisanship goes away." Regier says party labels would give voters more information. source: flatheadbeacon.com
Rep. Courtenay Sprunger (R-Kalispell) does not support CI-132 as written; Sprunger objects to forcing a party label next to judges' names but supports letting voters see a judge's party preference. source: flatheadbeacon.com

Who backs each side

For: Montanans for Nonpartisan Courts (ballot committee). Donors named in reporting: ACLU of Montana, Montana Trial Lawyers Association, Big Sky 55+ and Wild Montana Action Fund. Also backed by retired Supreme Court justices, district judges and the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce. Against: the Montana Republican Party (resolution). No organized opposition committee, per the Flathead Beacon. Dollar totals not found yet (Commissioner of Political Practices reports not checked yet). source: flatheadbeacon.com

In each side's own words where we could find them, quoted or summarized with a link to the source. We don't endorse either side.

What you will see on your ballot

Official ballot wording, word for word (tap to open)

The official ballot title, word for word from the Secretary of State's official ballot issue file .

CI-132 amends the Montana Constitution to require that judicial elections remain nonpartisan.

YES on Constitutional Amendment CI-132
NO on Constitutional Amendment CI-132

Copied word for word from the Secretary of State's official ballot-language PDF. The PDF prints the YES and NO choices as shown. The official Voter Information Pamphlet (with fiscal note and arguments) has not been checked.

Latest news

Recent reporting from a range of outlets, newest first. We link to it; we don't endorse it.

No articles collected yet for this measure.

Full text of the measure

Adds a new Section 12 to Article VII (the judicial article) of the Montana Constitution: "Section 12. Nonpartisan Judicial Elections. Judicial elections shall remain nonpartisan." Read it in the Secretary of State ballot issue file (PDF) .

We link to analysis from several sources; we don't endorse it.